The public meeting on concerns over law and order, against rape in particular, is now postponed again, probably imdefinitely. This is all very strange. The MidValley is run by Tan & Tan, an establishment corporation, I guess. It has refunded payment and cancelled reservations. Strange…

Now, the elections commissioni is trying to patrol cyberspace and clamp down on cyber campaigns covering “sensitive areas”… THIS, is NOT strange. Common, Malaysia – surprise me…

Come to think of it, the MidValley decision would probably have a reason which would not surprise many

There was to be a public meeting and a march this weekend, themed “Citizens Against Rape”. This was to be the response to a recent gruesome, but strange, case of rape-cum-murder in a richer part of the city. I guess the media (owners), and the local circuit feel it more when it happened at their doorstep. Even so, the case of rape and assault/murder in and around the city has escalated – the reported (media) cases, anyhow. So, this has climbed up the social agenda. For now. What do the cops do? Precious little, apart from dishing out new emergency nos to call. In their minds, Malaysians must have fantastic retention abilities for 8 digit numbers. Forget easy ones like 999 or 911. Nos like 22626555 (Police HQ) should be easier to remember, and therefore, better suited emergency nos.

Problem is, most dont feel safe on the streets anymore. Most ladies are also afraid of getting into a cab alone. Last night my wife and I were on our way home, we were 2 blocks from our home, around 8.30pm, when we saw a lady walking alone. She was dressed in shorts and sleeveless blouse. We immediately thought her foolish.

The link to KS Ong’s observations should be this:

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/200307150034826.php

For every person who says what he sees or thinks like a certain KS Ong (see link below), I believe there must be scores, indeed hundreds, who just go away fearing for their own safety. What IS happening?!!!

Found a way to fix the time stamp; it looks okay now. You must forgive a novice blogger.

The heavens are opened in KL; rain is pouring down, heavy enough for another flashflood to be excusable, in the eyes of the city hall clowns. Chances are traffic will be hell again tonight.

KL folks are amazing; we put up with all sorts of nonsense. A half hour rain can wreak havoc with our traffic, turning a half-hour journey into a 2-hour one, and KL folks will only be worked up a little. Certainly not enough to march down the streets to city hall and demand the troupe there be sacked. Maybe we’re just inert people. We should have a bit of the New Yorker in us, perhaps. Kick some city hall arses. At least give them the hairdryer treatment.

Driving in to the office today, saw this MPV. Sparkling “pearl” white. Windows tinted black as Stevie Wonder’s shades. It wasnt a new vehicle, plates WHJ something. So, must have been extremely lucky or lots of know-who. Where are the cops? Where’s the follow up for all those Ops?

Saw another vehicle – a bus. One of those really old bus companies. Belching out black smoke so thick you’d need floodlights to see through. Imagine being on a motorcycle – talk about high chances of getting cancer. Again, what happened follow-up to Ops whatever (“Asap”, if I remember correctly).

Saw several kapchai’s bolting in and out of streets – running lights, going the wrong way of one-way streets, everything. The works.

Who cares about doing the right thing if you can almost always get away with it…

Read any Malaysian paper (including, or especially online ones like Malaysiakini) and you’d find complaints about law and order, about how one can no longer feel safe, even in one’s own home. What’s the problem? Me think it’s a case of people not bothering with doing the right thing anymore, and believing that doing the right thing doesnt matter, and one can quite easily get away with doing “what-suits-me” instead of what’s right. Even when “what-suits-me” is clearly wrong, or even illegal. I think that started from the top – government, pollies, business leaders, senior company management, all these people in leadership position.

What happened this part of the world today? Anwar Ibrahim has his bail application postponed. Big news here. Sure, his trial was such a joke, the whole country thinks it is the old man who is responsible. Me, I dont really care. I think it’s all hulabaloo over nothing. Sure, the malays are up in arms because one their own is fixed. Suddenly issues like justice become so important, starting 20 September 1998. Where was the country’s concern over justice when Lim Guan Eng was thrown in jail for showing up a poly’s statutory rape? Whole lot of poppycock, if you ask me.

Just realised the time stamp. This site is…fifteen hours behind where I am, which should now be 7:55 pm 14 July 2003

I mean, when I ask myself why these things happen, I find myself giving an explanation of, possiby, why the larger malaise happen. People dont care about these things which are perceived to be the smaller sins in life, when they see the big fish getting away with a lot worse. Like Poly’s enriching themselves at the expense of ordinary blokes. Makes me want to puke, man. It’s gonna take a lot for me to want to remain in this country. Help me